Surveillance cameras that were supposed to be installed throughout Santa Fe are still waiting to go in due to delays.

SANTA FE (KRQE) – Santa Fe decided a year ago to put up security cameras in vulnerable areas throughout the city to help catch criminals or scare them off before they commit crimes, but the project is still unfinished following delay after delay.

City Councilor Joseph Maestas wasn’t in office in April of last year when the city council awarded a quarter of a million dollar contract to Chavez Security Inc. (CSI) to install 34 cameras in 15 locations around town, but now he’ll have a say in where they go because some of the spots the city originally chose don’t seem to work.

CSI said some sites either didn’t have any power or just didn’t make any sense because the cameras wouldn’t really have much to see.

So the company only put up some in locations like the Railyard Park and the Dale Ball trailhead parking lot.

The contractor said there are more than 20 cameras currently installed throughout Santa Fe, and each location seemed to pose its own problem, including one that wasn’t even on city property. Cameras were supposed to cover Atalaya Mountain trailhead, except it’s on St. John’s College property.

“Let’s make sure we don’t do this again,” Councilor Maestas said. “That we don’t haphazardly move forward with planning a contract knowing we’re not prepared to put it out for bids.”

Maestas wants to consider new locations like the busy Santa Fe Plaza and work with police to get crime data on where cameras would be most useful.

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